FBI reviews purported US church attacker's manifesto

Authorities investigating fatal shooting at black church looking into hate-filled manifesto that appeared on a website.

21 Jun 2015 05:43 GMT

The website surfaced as mourners arrived in the city of Charleston to pay their respects to the nine African American victims [EPA]

Authorities investigating the fatal shootings at a black church in the United States are looking into a racist manifesto, apparently written by the 21-year-old suspect.

The FBI said on Saturday that it was reviewing the manifesto purportedly written by Dylann Roof, who is currently in police custody, Associated Press reported.

A federal law enforcement official close to the investigation said the FBI is aware of the website and is reviewing it. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly on the case.

The website also hosts a series of photographs that appear to show the suspect, a white man from Lexington in South Carolina.

Confederate flag: A symbol of racially segregated past

Demonstrations are being held against the flying of the Confederate flag in South Carolina's capital, Columbia.

The flag was used by those who fought to secede from the US in its Civil War over slavery and is seen by many as a symbol of racism and segregation.

Activists are calling for the removal of the controversial flag from the grounds of the state house because of what some people see as its racist associations.

US President Barack Obama has said that he believes the flag belongs in a museum.

The authenticity of the website, which surfaced on Saturday, or who created it, could not be immediately confirmed. But Al Jazeera's Gabriel Elizondo, who is reporting from the city of Charleston, has confirmed that it was registered by Roof.

Al Jazeera has also spoken to Roof's father, but he would not confirm that his son created the site.

In the website, the author provides a cryptic "explanation", for action, saying, "I have no choice ... I chose Charleston because it is most historic city in my state, and at one time had the highest ratio of blacks to whites in the country.